Pocket-knife.



G. E. FINKENBINBR.

POCKET KNIFE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1913.

1,1 1 3,893, Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

wi h wooco THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTUJJTHOH WASHINGTON. Dv C4 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. FINKENBINER, OF GOSHEN, INDIANA, .A S SIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF J.BERKEY, OF GOSI-IEN, INDIANA.

TO ALBERT POCKET-KNIFE, y

Specification. of Letters latent.

PatentedOct. 13, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. FINKEN- BINER, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Knives, of which the following is a specification. v 7y i This inventionrelates to knives and particularly to that class of knives which arefoldable so that the handle serves as a guard and housing for the blade,and has for its object the provision of a simple, inexpensive foldingknife having a handle formed entirely from one piece of metal, thehandle itself serving as an eflicient spring for retaining the blade inits open or closed position.

The advantages and features of construction will be fully disclosed inthe following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the knife in its closed position, Fig. 2is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the opposite faceof the knife in its open position, and Fig. 4 is a perspective View ofthe handle and blade detached, the handle being broken apart to moreclearly show the construction, 7 Referring more particularly to thedrawings, the numeral 1 designates the handle, as a whole, which is madepreferably of metal such as spring steel and formed in one piece. Themain portion of the handle 1 comprises substantially parallel armsorstrips 2 and 3 which are preferably curved to fit the alm of the usershand. The upper strip 2 is bifurcated at 4, as shown, for a purpose tobe described. At its free end, the bifurcated strip 2 is provided with apair of ears 5 between which the blade 6 is pivoted as by means of apin7 which extends through openings 8 formed in the ears 5'.

The lower arm or strip 3 is spaced from the upper arm or strip 2 andterminates at 7 its free end in shoulders 9 which abut I claim is:

13 and 14 formed upon the butt 15 of the blade 6. y

It will be seen that when theknife is in its closed position the blade 6is disposed along the handle 1 with its point and edge extending withinthe; bifurcation 4, thus guarding the edge against injury and alsoprotecting the user, and that by spacing'the lower arm or strip 3 fromthe upper or,

bifurcated portion 2 of the handle, it is free to adapt itself toanywearon the butt- 15 of the blade or the tongue 11. y

The handle may be stamped from sheet steel and pressed into'shape thusreducing the cost of manufacture to a minimum. Furthermore the sheetsteel would possess suflicient' resilience to give the properspringiness to the arm 3 and tongue 11.

Having thus described my invention what A knife consisting of aresilient handle formed of one piece of spring steel comprisingsubstantially parallelarms, one of the armsbeing bifurcated, ears formedon the bifurcated arm, said ears extending upward toxthe level of theupper face of said other arm, said other arm having a tongue formed on,its end to fit between saidears, a blade pivoted between said ears onsaid bifurcated arm and having its butt end in contact with the tongueon the end of the other arm, said last mentioned arm being held apartfrom said bifurcated arm only by said tongue and the tang of the knifeblade, said blade being adapted to be disposed within said bifurcation.y

In testimony whereof I, hereto afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses. GEORGE E. FINKENBINER. Witnesses:

ALBERT J. BERKEY, WARREN BERKEYL Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

